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Bossarte RM, Kessler RC, Nierenberg AA, Chattopadhyay A, Cuijpers P, Enrique A, Foxworth PM, Gildea SM, Belnap BH, Haut MW, Law KB, Lewis WD, Liu H, Luedtke AR, Pigeon WR, Rhodes LA, Richards D, Rollman BL, Sampson NA, Stokes CM, Torous J, Webb TD, Zubizarreta JR. The Appalachia Mind Health Initiative (AMHI): a pragmatic randomized clinical trial of adjunctive internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for treating major depressive disorder among primary care patients. Trials 2022; 23:520. [PMID: 35725644 PMCID: PMC9207842 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06438-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disease morbidity. Combined treatment with antidepressant medication (ADM) plus psychotherapy yields a much higher MDD remission rate than ADM only. But 77% of US MDD patients are nonetheless treated with ADM only despite strong patient preferences for psychotherapy. This mismatch is due at least in part to a combination of cost considerations and limited availability of psychotherapists, although stigma and reluctance of PCPs to refer patients for psychotherapy are also involved. Internet-based cognitive behaviorial therapy (i-CBT) addresses all of these problems. METHODS Enrolled patients (n = 3360) will be those who are beginning ADM-only treatment of MDD in primary care facilities throughout West Virginia, one of the poorest and most rural states in the country. Participating treatment providers and study staff at West Virginia University School of Medicine (WVU) will recruit patients and, after obtaining informed consent, administer a baseline self-report questionnaire (SRQ) and then randomize patients to 1 of 3 treatment arms with equal allocation: ADM only, ADM + self-guided i-CBT, and ADM + guided i-CBT. Follow-up SRQs will be administered 2, 4, 8, 13, 16, 26, 39, and 52 weeks after randomization. The trial has two primary objectives: to evaluate aggregate comparative treatment effects across the 3 arms and to estimate heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE). The primary outcome will be episode remission based on a modified version of the patient-centered Remission from Depression Questionnaire (RDQ). The sample was powered to detect predictors of HTE that would increase the proportional remission rate by 20% by optimally assigning individuals as opposed to randomly assigning them into three treatment groups of equal size. Aggregate comparative treatment effects will be estimated using intent-to-treat analysis methods. Cumulative inverse probability weights will be used to deal with loss to follow-up. A wide range of self-report predictors of MDD heterogeneity of treatment effects based on previous studies will be included in the baseline SRQ. A state-of-the-art ensemble machine learning method will be used to estimate HTE. DISCUSSION The study is innovative in using a rich baseline assessment and in having a sample large enough to carry out a well-powered analysis of heterogeneity of treatment effects. We anticipate finding that self-guided and guided i-CBT will both improve outcomes compared to ADM only. We also anticipate finding that the comparative advantages of adding i-CBT to ADM will vary significantly across patients. We hope to develop a stable individualized treatment rule that will allow patients and treatment providers to improve aggregate treatment outcomes by deciding collaboratively when ADM treatment should be augmented with i-CBT. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04120285 . Registered on October 19, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Bossarte
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of South Florida, 3515 E. Fletcher Ave, FL, 33613, Tampa, USA.
| | - Ronald C Kessler
- Department of Healthcare Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew A Nierenberg
- The Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Pim Cuijpers
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, The Netherlands
| | - Angel Enrique
- E-mental Health Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and Clinical Research & Innovation, SilverCloud Health, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Sarah M Gildea
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bea Herbeck Belnap
- Center for Behavioral Health, Media, and Technology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marc W Haut
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Department of Neurology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Department of Radiology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Kari B Law
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - William D Lewis
- Department of Family Medicine, West Virginia University School of Medicine and West Virginia University Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Howard Liu
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua VA Medical Center, Canandaigua, NY, USA
| | - Alexander R Luedtke
- Department of Statistics, University of Washington and Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wilfred R Pigeon
- Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua VA Medical Center, Canandaigua, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Larry A Rhodes
- Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University School of Medicine and West Virginia University Institute for Community and Rural Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Derek Richards
- E-mental Health Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and Clinical Research & Innovation, SilverCloud Health, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bruce L Rollman
- Center for Behavioral Health, Media, and Technology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nancy A Sampson
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cara M Stokes
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA.,West Virginia University Injury Control Research Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - John Torous
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tyler D Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of South Florida, 3515 E. Fletcher Ave, FL, 33613, Tampa, USA
| | - Jose R Zubizarreta
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Becker JP, Paixão R, Quartilho MJ. Psychopathology and Somatic Complaints: A Cross-Sectional Study with Portuguese Adults. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9040478. [PMID: 33920545 PMCID: PMC8073042 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9040478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) are physical symptoms that cannot be fully explained by medical diagnosis, injuries, and medication intake. More than the presence of unexplained symptoms, this condition is associated with functional disabilities, psychological distress, increased use of health services, and it has been linked to depressive and anxiety disorders. Recognizing the difficulty of diagnosing individuals with FSS and the impact on public health systems, this study aimed to verify the concomitant incidence of psychopathological symptoms and FSS in Portugal. (2) Methods: For this purpose, 93 psychosomatic outpatients (91.4% women with a mean age of 53.9 years old) and 101 subjects from the general population (74.3% women with 37.8 years old) were evaluated. The survey questionnaire included the 15-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 20-Item Short Form Survey, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and questions on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. (3) Results: Increases in FSS severity were correlated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The findings also suggest that increased rates of FSS are associated with lower educational level and female gender. (4) Conclusion: Being aware of the relationship between FSS and psychopathological symptoms and the need to explore psychosocial issues during clinical interviews may favor early detection of these cases. The early detection of mental disorders is essential for individuals’ adherence to treatments, reflecting on healthcare costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Proença Becker
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +351-910741887
| | - Rui Paixão
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal;
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Bernáldez-Jaimes GB, Oudhof-van-Barneveld J, Robles-Estrada E, Domínguez-Espinosa ADC. Variables que inciden en el trastorno de síntomas somáticos: un modelo de regresión logística. DUAZARY 2020. [DOI: 10.21676/2389783x.3598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
El Trastorno de Síntomas Somáticos (TSS) se refiere a la presencia de malestares de carácter físico acompañados de preocupaciones y conductas excesivas relacionados a la salud, cuya etiología es considerada multifactorial, entre los cuales se encuentran el estrés, características personales, exposición a situaciones traumáticas y creencias irracionales. Es por ello que la presente investigación tuvo por objeto desarrollar un modelo de regresión logística con el fin de analizar la incidencia de dichos factores sobre el TSS. Se trabajó con una muestra de 201 participantes divididos en dos grupos, 111 con diagnóstico de TSS y 90 no clínicos. Se realizó un análisis de regresión logística binaria donde la prueba de Omnibus (Chi cuadrada de 84,982, p<0,001) indica que las variables del modelo contribuyen a explicar el fenómeno. La prueba Hosmer-Lemeshow (Chi cuadrada de 8,603, p=0,377) mostró su ajuste a la realidad, con cuatro variables de riesgo; siendo las Quejas Gastrointestinales la de mayor proporción con un Coeficiente de Regresión de 1,053, seguida de la Preocupación y Estrés, Introversión y Pensamientos Automáticos Negativos; mientras que la Indefensión y Desesperanza disminuyen la probabilidad del TSS. Las quejas recurrentes de carácter gastrointestinal parecen ser los factores predictores más comunes del TSS.
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Validation of the Chinese Version of the Somatic Symptom Disorder-B Criteria Scale for Detecting DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorders: A Multicenter Study. Psychosom Med 2020; 82:337-344. [PMID: 32058460 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Somatic Symptom Disorder-B Criteria Scale (SSD-12) in an outpatient sample from Chinese general hospitals and to determine the diagnostic performance of the SSD-12 as a screening tool for somatic symptom disorder (SSD). METHODS The Chinese version of the SSD-12 was completed by 699 outpatients from nine general hospitals during a 16-month period (2016-2018). The SSD section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders, Fifth Edition, Research Version, was used to determine diagnostic accuracy (criterion validity). The construct validity of the SSD-12 was evaluated by examining correlations with the Whiteley Index-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, and Medical Outcome Study 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). RESULTS The SSD-12 had excellent internal consistency in this sample (Cronbach α = .95). Confirmatory factor analyses replicated a three-factor structure that reflects the cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects (Comparative Fit Index = 0.963, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.952, root mean square error of approximation = 0.08, 90% confidence interval = 0.08-0.09), but was also consistent with a general one-factor model of the SSD-12 (Comparative Fit Index = 0.957, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.948, root mean square error of approximation = 0.09, 90% confidence interval = 0.08-0.10). The optimal cutoff point for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders-based diagnosis of SSD was 16 (sensitivity = 0.76, specificity = 0.80). The SSD-12 sum score was significantly associated with somatic symptom burden (Patient Health Questionnaire-15: r = 0.52, p < .001), health anxiety (Whiteley Index-7: r = 0.82, p < .001), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9: r = 0.63, p < .001), general anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7: r = 0.64, p < .001), health-related quality of life (physical component score of SF-12: r = -0.49, p < .001; mental component score of SF-12: r = -0.61, p < .001), and health-related disabilities (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule: r = 0.56, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Initial assessment indicates that the Chinese version of the SSD-12 has sufficient reliability and validity to warrant further testing in both research and clinical settings.
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Byrne A, O’Connor J, Wilson O’Raghallaigh J, MacHale S. Something torn or burst or unbearable: a psychoanalytically-informed exploration of the experience of somatic symptoms. PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/02668734.2019.1582085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Byrne
- School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - J. O’Connor
- School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - S. MacHale
- Liaison Psychiatry Service, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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van Driel TJW, Hilderink PH, Hanssen DJC, de Boer P, Rosmalen JGM, Oude Voshaar RC. Assessment of Somatization and Medically Unexplained Symptoms in Later Life. Assessment 2018; 25:374-393. [PMID: 28745072 PMCID: PMC5865474 DOI: 10.1177/1073191117721740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The assessment of medically unexplained symptoms and "somatic symptom disorders" in older adults is challenging due to somatic multimorbidity, which threatens the validity of somatization questionnaires. In a systematic review study, the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and the somatization subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90-item version (SCL-90 SOM) are recommended out of 40 questionnaires for usage in large-scale studies. While both scales measure physical symptoms which in younger persons often refer to unexplained symptoms, in older persons, these symptoms may originate from somatic diseases. Using empirical data, we show that PHQ-15 and SCL-90 SOM among older patients correlate with proxies of somatization as with somatic disease burden. Updating the previous systematic review, revealed six additional questionnaires. Cross-validation studies are needed as none of 46 identified scales met the criteria of suitability for an older population. Nonetheless, specific recommendations can be made for studying older persons, namely the SCL-90 SOM and PHQ-15 for population-based studies, the Freiburg Complaint List and somatization subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory 53-item version for studies in primary care, and finally the Schedule for Evaluating Persistent Symptoms and Somatic Symptom Experiences Questionnaire for monitoring treatment studies.
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Xiong N, Zhang Y, Wei J, Leonhart R, Fritzsche K, Mewes R, Hong X, Cao J, Li T, Jiang J, Zhao X, Zhang L, Schaefert R. Operationalization of diagnostic criteria of DSM-5 somatic symptom disorders. BMC Psychiatry 2017; 17:361. [PMID: 29115965 PMCID: PMC5678573 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1526-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to test the operationalization of DSM-5 somatic symptom disorder (SSD) psychological criteria among Chinese general hospital outpatients. METHODS This multicenter, cross-sectional study enrolled 491 patients from 10 general hospital outpatient departments. The structured clinical "interview about cognitive, affective, and behavioral features associated with somatic complaints" was used to operationalize the SSD criteria B. For comparison, DSM-IV somatoform disorders were assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview plus. Cohen's к scores were given to illustrate the agreement of the diagnoses. RESULTS A three-structure model of the interview, within which items were classified as respectively assessing the cognitive (B1), affective (B2), and behavioral (B3) features, was examined. According to percentages of screening-positive persons and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, a cut-off point of 2 was recommended for each subscale of the interview. With the operationalization, the frequency of DSM-5 SSD was estimated as 36.5% in our sample, and that of DSM-IV somatoform disorders was 8.2%. The agreement between them was small (Cohen's к = 0.152). Comparisons of sociodemographic features of SSD patients with different severity levels (mild, moderate, severe) showed that mild SSD patients were better-off in terms of financial and employment status, and that the severity subtypes were congruent with the level of depression, anxiety, quality of life impairment, and the frequency of doctor visits. CONCLUSIONS The operationalization of the diagnosis and severity specifications of SSD was valid, but the diagnostic agreement between DSM-5 SSD and DSM-IV somatoform disorders was small. The interpretation the SSD criteria should be made cautiously, so that the diagnosis would not became over-inclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Xiong
- 0000 0000 9889 6335grid.413106.1Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730 China
| | - Yaoyin Zhang
- 0000 0004 1808 0950grid.410646.1Department of Psychosomatic, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Rainer Leonhart
- grid.5963.9Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kurt Fritzsche
- 0000 0000 9428 7911grid.7708.8Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ricarda Mewes
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychology, Philipps University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Xia Hong
- 0000 0000 9889 6335grid.413106.1Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730 China
| | - Jinya Cao
- 0000 0000 9889 6335grid.413106.1Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730 China
| | - Tao Li
- 0000 0000 9889 6335grid.413106.1Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730 China
| | - Jing Jiang
- 0000 0000 9889 6335grid.413106.1Department of Psychological Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730 China
| | - Xudong Zhao
- 0000000123704535grid.24516.34Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Dongfang Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120 China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Mental Health Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan People’s Republic of China
| | - Rainer Schaefert
- grid.410567.1Department of Psychosomatics, Medical Division, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Kajiwara N, Hayashi K, Misago M, Murakami S, Ueoka T. First-visit patients without a referral to the Department of Internal Medicine at a medium-sized acute care hospital in Japan: an observational study. Int J Gen Med 2017; 10:335-345. [PMID: 29042808 PMCID: PMC5633273 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s146830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We sought to profile first-time patients without a referral who sought medical care at the Department of Internal Medicine at a medium-sized acute care hospital in Japan. We anticipated that the analysis would highlight the demand for medical care needs from acute care hospitals and help confirm one of the problems associated with primary care in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study population comprised 765 patients who sought outpatient consultation without a referral at "the Department of General Internal Medicine" at the Ikeda City Hospital on Fridays over 4 years. Data on the following variables were collected: age, sex, examination date, reason for encounter (RFE), diagnosis, as well as history of consultation with or without antibiotic treatment at another medical institution for the same RFE. We used the International Classicication of Primary Care, Revised Second edition (ICPC-2-R) codes for RFEs and diagnoses. RESULTS The main RFE fields were digestive (ICPC-2-R Chapter D), general and unspecified (A), and respiratory (R). The main diagnosis fields were digestive (D), respiratory (R), general and unspecified (A), and musculoskeletal (L). In total, 27.6% of patients had sought consultation at another medical institution for the same RFE. Of these, 64.7% of patients for whom the RFE was cough (ICPC-2-R code, R05), and 72.0% for whom the RFE was fever (A03) were prescribed antibiotics. In total, 62.4% of patients underwent emergency investigations and waited for the results; 4.3% were hospitalized on the same day; and 60.5% were medicated at the initial examination. In 11.5%, the main underlying problem appeared to be psychosomatic. CONCLUSION We used the ICPC-2-R to analyze the state of first-visit patients without a referral visiting the Department of Internal Medicine at a medium-sized acute care hospital in Japan. Common RFEs were abdominal pain, cough, and fever. A tendency toward overprescription of antibiotics was observed among primary care physicians.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Masahiro Misago
- Department of General Medicine, Ikeda City Hospital, Johnan, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Takato Ueoka
- Department of General Medicine, Ikeda City Hospital, Johnan, Osaka, Japan
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a new self-report questionnaire for the assessment of the psychological features of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition somatic symptom disorder. METHODS The Somatic Symptom Disorder-B Criteria Scale (SSD-12) was developed in several steps from an initial pool of 98 items. The SSD-12 is composed of 12 items; each of the three psychological subcriteria is measured by four items. In a cross-sectional study, the SSD-12 was administered to 698 patients (65.8% female, mean [standard deviation] age = 38.79 [14.15] years) from a psychosomatic outpatient clinic. Item and scale characteristics as well as measures of reliability and validity were determined. RESULTS The SSD-12 has good item characteristics and excellent reliability (Cronbach α = .95). Confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a three-factorial structure that reflects the three psychological criteria interpreted as cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects (n = 663, Comparative Fit Index > 0.99, Tucker-Lewis Index > 0.99, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.06, 90% confidence interval = 0.01-0.08). SSD-12 total sum score was significantly associated with somatic symptom burden (r = 0.47, p < .001) and health anxiety (r = 0.71, p < .001), and moderately associated with general anxiety (r = 0.35, p < .001) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.22, p < .001). Patients with a higher SSD-12 psychological symptom burden reported higher general physical and mental health impairment and significantly higher health care use. CONCLUSIONS The SSD-12 is the first self-report questionnaire that operationalizes the new psychological characteristics of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition somatic symptom disorder. Initial assessment indicates that the SSD-12 has sufficient reliability and validity to warrant further testing in both research and clinical settings.
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